Man found burned, bound on 605 Freeway dies

A badly burned man found naked on the 605 Freeway died from his injuries Wednesday morning.

Sheriff’s homicide Lt. Steve Jauch said the man is still unidentified. No one has been arrested, he added.

A driver saw the man on the northbound 605 Freeway, just north of the 60 Freeway at 1:49 p.m. Tuesday and called the California Highway Patrol.

The man’s hands and feet were partially bound, according to Sgt. Rick Thurlo of the sheriff’s Industry station.

He was also burned all over his body, including his face and hands.

Deputy Amber Smith said the man may have crawled from a wash area to the freeway where he was found by a passing motorist. She said the man may have been assaulted earlier but if so she didn’t know where or when it took place.

“We are looking at the possibility of evidence nearby of a fire,” Jauch said.

He declined to discuss exactly where the suspicious site was located.

“It’s still part of the investigation,” Jauch said. “We’re still trying to confirm where the fire started.”

The man was taken to Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Baldwin Park then later transferred to Los Angeles County USC Medical Center.

Ed Winter, assistant chief of operations for the Los Angeles County Department of Coroner, said the man was pronounced dead at 2:54 a.m. Wednesday. He described the victim as a male possibly in his 30s.

The sheriff’s Arson and Explosives unit detective was initially handling the case but it is now being investigated by the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Anonymous tipsters may call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, text “TIPLA” plus the tip to 274637, or use the website http://lacrimestoppers.org.